Several governments have banned DeepSeek AI from official devices, citing serious security risks and data privacy concerns. The AI chatbot, developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek, quickly gained popularity, but its data collection practices have raised alarms.
Countries including the US, South Korea, Australia, Italy and Taiwan are limiting or considering restrictions on use in government agencies. Authorities are concerned about potential data exposure and links to Chinese national management entities, promoting fear of cybersecurity threats and spying risks.
Deepseek is a Chinese AI startup founded in 2023 and has gained traction in developing AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Its latest model, the Deepseek R1, is said to be cheaper to train compared to the West.
This has led to a dramatic change in the AI landscape, and major high-tech companies are feeling an impact. The rapid use of DeepSeek has raised concerns with the government regarding the way the platform collects and processes user data.
The US took precautions by blocking DeepSeek with NASA devices and alerting within the Navy about security risks. Lawmakers are also considering laws that ban AI on government-owned devices.
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has temporarily banned its use among employees, while making data privacy more clear. Furthermore, state-owned companies, South Korea’s hydroelectric and nuclear power generation, blocked DeepSeek from workers’ devices.
In Australia, as cited by the Department of Home Affairs for security reasons, there is an absolute ban in all government systems. Italian data protection agencies are also suppressing DeepSeek because they are private about how user data is captured.
At the same time, Taiwan appealed to block government departments from using AI chatbots.
One of the deep concerns for these governments is when data collection policies are built in, including users’ email addresses, phone numbers, passwords, chat history and devices.
There are rumours that the AI tool may be able to send user information to Chinese mobile, a state-owned company. This claim is unfair, but the fear of being seen and spyed is worrying.
All governments in the West have limitations on AI technology, and these companies are treated differently due to potential government involvement. Other China-based technology companies have also received such bans in the past due to existing international cybersecurity issues.
